 An Introduction to the Enneagram Co-author of “From Awareness to Action,” The Enneagram, Emotional Intelligence, and Change: A Guide to Improving Performance This is the first in a series of articles on the Enneagram, a powerful tool for self-awareness, emotional healing and personal transformation. In subsequent articles, Robert will explain each of the nine types in depth, with an emphasis on how to us the Enneagram for personal growth and building happy, loving relationships. Although it has been known to spiritual seekers for centuries, the Enneagram has only become known to the general public within the last thirty years or so. It is increasingly being used as a powerful tool for spiritual growth, relationship building, and executive coaching. The Enneagram is a personality system that describes nine basic types. It explains the strengths and limitations of nine specific strategies people use to interact with each other and the world. It describes how those strategies look when people are functioning in a normal manner and when they are under stress. The Enneagram reveals what we are good at, the kinds of people and environments we are attracted to, and the gifts that we easily and naturally offer to the world. It also reveals our habitual behaviors, blind spots, and the limiting beliefs that trip us up over and over. It helps us understand others by describing their values, thought processes, the language they use, and what motivates them—and explains how to best communicate with them. Knowing what motivates us and others to act is the key to improving behavior. No other personality system does this as accurately and practically as the Enneagram. One thing I love about the Enneagram is that it doesn’t just describe what a personality type “looks” like by describing a list of traits or behavioral patterns—it does that and more: it tells us the cause of the behavior, and then goes one step further and tells us how to positively change that behavior. I like to say that the Enneagram is both descriptive and prescriptive. For each personality type it describes with profound accuracy the negative tendencies that hold us back, and prescribes—with the same profound accuracy—the specific path best suited for each type to reach it’s full potential and be happy, productive people. The origins of the Enneagram go back many centuries. Though no one is sure when the first Enneagram figure was drawn, it is thought to have its roots in ancient Greece—thus its name: ennea is Greek for nine; gram means drawing. The drawing itself consists of a triangle and a hexagon enclosed within a circle. These elements combine to create nine points along the circle. In the early 1970s, the application of this diagram to understanding personality began to grow in popularity, namely through the work of Claudio Naranjo, M.D., a noted Gestalt psychologist. Over time, numerous schools of thought sprang from Naranjo’s work, most notably through the work of Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, and Helen Palmer. There are probably 100 books available on the Enneagram currently.
Figure 1. The Enneagram The Enneagram identifies nine key strategies. The strategy is the most fundamental part of the personality and drives the behavior we use to navigate through life. It is what works for us so we continue to fall back on it. This strategy is what makes each of the nine personalities different. For example, if my strategy is to be powerful, the strategy of Type Eight, the Challenger, I will behave very differently than a Type Nine, the Peacemaker, whose strategy is to be peaceful. Or if my strategy is to be connected, the strategy of Type Two, The Giver, I will behave differently than a Type Five, the Observer, whose strategy is to be detached. One of the underlying ideas of the Enneagram is that we all use the nine strategies at different times throughout the day, week, etc. The strategies are ways of behaving that, ideally, we use appropriately depending on the circumstances. The Enneagram shows, however, that although we have access to these strategies, we tend to prefer one, regardless of the situation. And if we prefer one strategy, then we are rejecting or neglecting the use of another, possibly more effective strategy. Our preferred strategy is not always the most effective or appropriate behavior for the situation. The Enneagram demonstrates how the habit of preferring one strategy to deal with a variety of situations and people creates automatic, unconscious behavior—an “auto-pilot” characterized by tunnel vision, limiting beliefs, blind spots, and habitual patterns of behavior. The Enneagram describes with uncanny accuracy the specific nature of our “auto-pilot.” And best of all it shows how to go from automatic to conscious behavior and transformation. Transformation simply can’t happen without awareness. It is amazing the capacity we each have for self-deception. We reject from our awareness what we find unpleasant, upsetting or in contrast with the way we prefer to see ourselves, which is our preferred strategy. So the first step to transformation is awareness. When examining our enneagram type it is important to notice that each type describes what we are striving to be, so the word “striving” is significant. When we say that a person or a particular personality type is “striving to be” something, we are referring to a feeling that they are trying to recapture, a sense of self that drives them, and an identity that they are trying to project to others. It does not mean that they have necessarily accomplished this, however. Type Three, The Producer, for example, strives to be outstanding, but has flaws and shortcomings just like the rest of us. Following are brief descriptions of the nine personality types of the Enneagram that identify the preferred strategy of each type—i.e., what they strive to be—and the quality the type resists most strongly—i.e., what they strive not to be, along with behavioral traits and examples of the types drawn from famous people. Type One—The Perfectionist: Strives to be perfect and strives not to be irresponsible or careless. Perfectionists are models of decorum, clear logic and appropriate behavior. They focus on rules, procedures and making sure that they are always doing the “right thing.” Under stress they can become critical, judgmental, unwilling to take risks, and fear that having “too much” fun is irresponsible. Examples of Perfectionists: Ralph Nader, Hilary Clinton, “The Church Lady,” Pope John Paul II, Al Gore, Martha Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Gandhi. Type Two—The Giver: Strives to be connected to others and strives not to be physically or emotionally isolated. Givers are selfless, caring and nurturing. They focus on helping others meet their needs; they easily build rapport and find connection with others. Under stress they fail to care for their own needs, end up becoming emotionally dependent on others, and fear that if they are not closely connected to others they will become isolated. Examples of Givers: Sammy Davis, Jr., Florence Nightingale, Richard Simmons, Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu, John Denver, Merv Griffin, Barbara Bush, and Arsenio Hall. Type Three—The Producer: Strives to be outstanding and strives not to be mediocre or average. Producers work hard to exceed standards and to be successful in whatever they undertake. They place high value on productivity and presenting an image of being a winner. Under stress they become attention seeking, may value image over substance, and fear that if they are not making great efforts to be excellent they will become mediocre. Examples of Producers: Oprah Winfey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Reeve, Sharon Stone, Kathy Lee Gifford, Richard Gere, Michael Jordon, Elvis Presley, and Jane Pauley. Type Four—The Connoisseur: Strives to be unique and strives not to be plain, typical, or mundane. Connoisseurs are creative and approach their lives in fresh and interesting ways. They gravitate toward things and experiences that are elegant, refined, or unusual. Under stress they feel misunderstood, withdraw from others, and fear that if they don’t put their own special touch on their world and their experiences their individuality will become repressed. Examples of Connoisseurs: Johnny Depp, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Anne Rice, Jeremy Irons, Bob Dylan, The Artist (Formerly Known as “Prince”), Sarah McLachlin, and Jackie Onassis. Type Five—The Observer: Strives to be detached and strives not to be reckless, emotional, and uncontrolled. Observers are observant, logical and generally reserved. They focus on problem solving, innovative ideas, and data gathering. Under stress they can end up being dull, out of touch with their experiences and emotions, and fear that if they do not remain detached and guarded they will become uncontrolled. Examples of Observers: Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Stephen King, Kurt Cobain, Vincent Van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Hitchcock, and David Lynch. Type Six—The Guardian: Strives to be secure and strives not to let their guard down and be passive. Guardians find security in being part of something bigger than themselves, such as a group or tradition. They are careful, responsible and protective of the welfare of the group. They focus on maintaining consistency, tradition and cohesion. Under stress they may fail to take the risks necessary for high performance and settle for mediocrity and fear that if they relax their guard they will be vulnerable to possible dangers. Examples of Guardians: Woody Allen, Julia Roberts, Diane Keaton, Janet Reno, Richard Nixon, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Hanks, Katie Couric, and Meg Ryan. Type Seven—The Enthusiast: Strives to be excited and strives not to be bored or boring. Enthusiasts are upbeat, enthusiastic, optimistic and curious. They focus on possibilities and options and keeping others entertained. Under stress they fail to follow-through, become easily distracted and irresponsible and fear that they may miss out on something and end up feeling empty. Examples of Enthusiasts: Robin Williams, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Richard Bramson, Jim Carrey, Carol Burnett, Benjamin Franklin, Jack Nicholson, and Steven Spielberg. Type Eight—The Challenger: Strives to be powerful and strives not to be vulnerable or dependent on others. Challengers are action-oriented self-starters who love to be in charge. They focus on getting things done and overcoming obstacles. Under stress they may not adhere to the rules that others expect them to follow and their behavior can become uncontrolled. They fear that if they become too connected to others or experience their own emotions too deeply they will become dependent on others. Examples of Challengers: John Wayne, Donald Trump, Bill O’Reilly, Dennis Miller, Courtney Love, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Sigourney Weaver, and Sean Connery. Type Nine—The Peacemaker: Strives to be peaceful and strives not to seek attention or express needs. Peacemakers are calm, pleasant, self-effacing, likeable, and charming. They focus on maintaining inner harmony by minimizing their needs and concentrating on the needs of others. Under stress they overlook threats to their security or success, become vulnerable and fear that if they place too much importance on themselves they will be seen as attention-seeking. Examples of Peacemakers: Keanu Reeves, Ray Romano, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Abraham Lincoln, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, George Lucas, and Carl Jung. Next month’s article will focus on Type One, The Perfectionist, and will offer practical guidance on how Perfectionists can grow and be happier both personally and in relationships. |
